HorizonXI – Era+ 75 Cap FFXI Server Launching December 17th, 2022

[Bardicrune]

Nope, but it is making me recall doing Adamantoise BCNM and HNM trying to get the Egg for 6 months after already having the other two black belt items.

[Ksandra]

Time to do some fishing while hubby drives.

[Julian]

Something I learned back in the 90's hosting, working, and playing on various MU*s is that the majority of people who think they can run a server should be nowhere near the process. Favoritism, the inability to say no, temptation to cheat, crumbling under criticism, lacking sense of direction and ambition, easily exploited or poorly structured code, failure to acknowledge issues, and so on all contribute to the end result.

It's easy to say none of that will happen here... until it does. Morale may be high now and vigilance above future average, but two weeks from now? Two months? Pushing aside my own disinterest in 75 cap and stuff like needless RDM nerfs, someone will cause some actual drama eventually. And not in the funny haha HNM kinda way. Fact and fiction won't matter once people have established their social preferences.

This is why I only code stuff and do experimental PoC type stuff, and don't bother actually trying to run my own server, fuck that noise who would want to put themselves through that?

Also partially why I don't bother playing on other servers either. It's going to die eventually, so what's the point? Even with retail, the servers will eventually shut down, but at least all my stuff is forever there until that happens.

[Gokulo]

Yeah, back in my Ragnarok Online days private servers only made sense because they had higher exp and drop rates. Since you know they can disappear quickly and abruptly, most people wouldn't bother playing at a standard pace. Except masochistic purists I guess

[Bardicrune]

Yeah, back in my Ragnarok Online days private servers only made sense because they had higher exp and drop rates. Since you know they can disappear quickly and abruptly, most people wouldn't bother playing at a standard pace. Except masochistic purists I guess

My biggest gripe isn't really drop rates, but (H)NM spawn rates. It just feels bad to camp a beginner level something for 6hrs, lose some of the claims to ppl. who showed up 5-10 min before pop, and not get anything but ~10 stacks of rabbit hides and 3 carrots.

[NynJa]

suck less™

[Ksandra]

Yeah, back in my Ragnarok Online days private servers only made sense because they had higher exp and drop rates. Since you know they can disappear quickly and abruptly, most people wouldn't bother playing at a standard pace. Except masochistic purists I guess

Fwiw, I am one of those who enjoy the journey more than the destination. I’ve always had more fun getting to cap level in any mmo than the actually endgame content. And so current mmos who rush you to endgame frustrate me. I wil still enjoy it, but usually lose interest within 4 months. So I’m kinda enjoying the slow-pace leveling that you currently rush through with retail. It doesn’t help that companies like blizzard don’t care if leveling shit gets broken and just expects you to deal with it and level in a NY minute.


Now, don’t get me wrong, not everyone is like me, nor do I expect them to be. I understand why people don’t enjoy it like I do. My ls mates think I’m crazy, but I’ve just always been that way. Even pre-mmos once I got near the end of a single player game I tend to drop off.

I figured I’d put it out there as a different perspective. Especially as I read a bunch of “just play retail” talk (not limited to BG). I did play retail, and “beat it” as far as I’m concerned (ie. Completed all the stories). Retail just simply has you lvl too fast for me and then I get stuck having to do the same content every week, which I don’t enjoy as much.

[Obsidian]

If you think retail levelling is fast, you haven't done job points or Master levels. Yes, getting to 99 is quick (especially once you've got Rhapsodies done and have all the EXP boosts), but the JP and ML grinds are not quick, even if you're cleaving.

[Gokulo]

Oh, it's perfectly fine to enjoy a slow journey, I just personally wouldn't risk doing that on a private server due to their fickle nature

[Ksandra]

If you think retail levelling is fast, you haven't done job points or Master levels. Yes, getting to 99 is quick (especially once you've got Rhapsodies done and have all the EXP boosts), but the JP and ML grinds are not quick, even if you're cleaving.

I did get job points. I capped them out on iirc 1 job and was maybe halfway though a second.

Lvling at cap isn’t the same. You aren’t reaching new areas and experiencing new quests the same way. Even abilities are just handed to you instead of say questing that new spell. It’s different to me.

[Ksandra]

Wow my memory is shit. I capped on 3 jobs rofl.

https://www.ffxiah.com/player/Ragnar...nova#jobpoints

[Julian]

Yeah, back in my Ragnarok Online days private servers only made sense because they had higher exp and drop rates. Since you know they can disappear quickly and abruptly, most people wouldn't bother playing at a standard pace. Except masochistic purists I guess

Oh man I miss RO private servers. You could cap out in like a week or two, enjoy for another week or two, then kick the addiction the curb and take a break and repeat again in a year or so. lol

[Ksandra]

Oh, it's perfectly fine to enjoy a slow journey, I just personally wouldn't risk doing that on a private server due to their fickle nature

Yeah I totally get that. I just bring it up because there’s this really sour vibe I’m getting from people who don’t want to play on the private server. Like awesome if that not your thing, I’m not trying to convince people to play. But it’s weird how some people act like it’s only neckbeards who would be interested in it. There’s that ah thread Spicy posted with Draylo having a shit fit over it that I just can’t wrap my head around.

We had some major laughs already this week with dunes and sj items. If the devs shutdown the server tomorrow, I don’t think my time was wasted.

And again, that’s just me. Not expecting everyone to feel that way. Just maybe it’s ok to let people enjoy things.

[Prothescar]

There’s that ah thread Spicy posted with Draylo having a shit fit over it that I just can’t wrap my head around.

The simple answer is that Draylo sees anything that isn't pumping players and money directly into XI's development budget as a direct attack on the game and part of the reason why it's in maintenance mode. Feels the same way about XIV. Typically ignores the fact that most people who aren't playing retail XI right now in favor of private servers and XIV probably still wouldn't be playing retail XI if neither existed.

[Akiyama]

I feel like some people just take things a lil bit too seriously. Even if this doesn't last, then just enjoy it while it's around, yanno? Speaking as a person w/ experience on loss this past year, and who's been through to hell and back, just.. learn to take things as they are and have as much fun with it as you can!

Private servers have always been a thing and I mean.. if SE doesn't care, then why should anyone else? It's really not that serious. Horizon's done a fairly nice job, and honestly, with the playercount, it's astounding the server even functions.

I was on Nasomi and Wings, and for as much shit as Nasomi gets, I still had a pretty good time there all things considered as my first re-entry into XI, and then Wings was also a good time. I'm not going hard on Horizon, just kinda taking it easy, but I'm still having fun and it's still great to see some peoples I haven't seen/heard from in years. <3

So yeah, like.. if you want to be a person who's picking at the server for this and that, or upset over this reason or that reason, then that's fine, that's your own prerogative, but I'm just on the side where it's like.. I'm gonna enjoy the ride for what it is.

[NynJa]

Complaining about a FREE product is lulz.

[Tyrath]

Someone wanna link me to that Draylo thread again pls

[Prothescar]

Starts here and continues for like 4 or 5 pages

[Kiarax]

The narrative of "only level 75 matters" is so funny in a game where the people still sticking around are probably doing so because FFXI was the antithesis of that game design. I enjoyed Assault and Limbus a lot but most of the rest of classic XIs endgame was just a dud to me. I enjoy servers like this because it's enjoyable to just vibe in EXP parties, every piece of gear you acquire even at mid levels actually feels somewhat impactful. It helps build a massive sense of community that's missing in most MMOs and has even become a problem in retail XI nowadays with how prevalent merc groups and multiboxing has become (the dwindling population doesn't help either ofc).

Server was back at over 4,300 people again tonight with Christmas (mostly) over now, actually insane how well it's holding peoples attention. I'm having a good time with DRK since it was a job I never gave the time of day back in the real 75 era.

[Ksandra]

Kipling, I just wanna say, go to a Korean Spa after all the discord spamming. All of you. Lol

But note, as a player. That discord spam is hysterical to watch during server downtime. XD

I have no idea what the alternative is. People having a great time, but you poor things.


Also, Kiarax is posting straight facts.